Maurice De Mauriac Watches: Watch Snob

Maurice De Mauriac Watches: Watch Snob

You bought a vintage watch, no doubt a very cheap one on eBay -- who cares if it gets a little scratched up?

The Watch Snob is in.

You may think you know watches, but let's be real — you just don’t. Let me, a true horological aficionado, enlighten your plebeian minds as to what makes a real watch, what you should wear when and what to do with those old watches of yours. All the opinions expressed by the Watch Snob are my own, and are just that — opinions. Don’t worry, though, AskMen will still be bringing you great features on interesting watches to buy, both old and new, expensive and cheap. For now, let the Watch Snob reign.

Hi Watch Snob,

After reading one of your articles, I visited Maurice De Mauriac’s site and looked at some of his men's watches. I'd like to learn more about boutique watches. Could you please steer me toward some other interesting watchmakers who produce watches under $5,000?

Look, there are boutique watchmakers and then there are watch companies who rip off the designs of others, put their name on the dial and call themselves an independent watchmaker. For example, whoever is behind MKII is a total con artist. He sells vintage Rolex looks, adds a ring to a movement and proclaims he’s reinvented the automatic watch.

Even Maurice De Mauriac has ripped off a few things — his Chronograph Modern is basically just an IWC Top Gun (it shares some employees, and perhaps even more than that) and the fonts on their dials look like they came right off a Richard Mille. Another independent for around $5,000 is Bremont. The watches are nice, though the designs are a little dull, but at least they won’t have Richard Mille filing a suit any time soon.

Watch Snob,

What's your take on the Cvstos Challenge-R Chrono (except for the name, that is). I can clearly see that it has borrowed a lot of design elements from Richard Mille, but I find it more attractive than the RM 010 — and it's also a lot more affordable. Although it doesn't have an in-house movement, it seems nicely finished for the price; I place it in sort of the same relationship as Glashutte Original versus A. Lange & Sohne, but how do you regard it?

You can buy a Cvstos, but be prepared for literally every person you meet to be disappointed (and not hide it) when they realize you’re not wearing a Richard Mille. Cvstos is an expensive homage (see above) and no self-respecting man would wear an homage, especially one that costs as much as these do. Your GO versus Lange comparison doesn’t work, because Glashutte actually makes its own movements, good ones at that, while Cystos usually just takes your average ETA/Valjoux, changes 2% of it, and calls it its caliber. Glashutte is much more than a Lange homage, while I’m afraid Cvstos is nothing more than a rip-off. And you can tell Cystos I said that too.

question from a watch knob

I recently bought a vintage Hamilton on eBay. I keep scratching the sapphire crystal — is there anything I can do to not get so many scratches?

First, if you bought a vintage watch, you’re dealing with a plastic crystal, not a sapphire crystal. Second, the answer is no, nothing short of swapping out your plastic glass for sapphire will prevent it from getting so many scratches. Your only real option that would prevent it from getting scratches would be to put the watch in a drawer, but something tells me you’d still find a way to scuff it up. You bought a vintage watch, no doubt a very cheap one, on eBay — who cares if it gets a little scratched up? Next question please.